Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 8.djvu/572

 VIII. PHILOSOPHICAL PEKIODICALS. PHILOSOPHICAL EEVIEW. Vol. viii., No. 2. J. G-. Schurman. ' Kant's Theory of the a priori Forms of Sense.' n. [Space is not a necessary perception a priori ; it is an empirical notion. It is the mode in which a certain aspect of reality reveals itself to consciousness, and is derived not from intensity and quality (mental chemistry) but from a given extensity. Kant's space fails to account for the universality, the synthetic nature, and the objective validity of geometrical propositions : empiricism is adequate to the first two characteristics, and is not perplexed by the third.] A. Lefevre. ' The Significance of Butler's View of Human Nature.' [The central doctrine in Butler is that of the organic and harmonious wholeness of human nature ; his method is teleological. He envisages human nature as a system, with conscience as reflexion supreme, under that the two principles of reason, self-love and benevolence, and under these the appetites, etc. The end to which the system is conducive is morality. Butler differs from Kant in con- ceiving the relations of the sensible and the rational self to be organic. Problems of obligation, of vicious action, of the universal self.] L. M. Solomons. ' The Alleged Proof of Parallelism from the Conservation of Energy.' [The question of the freedom of the will has to do with the laws governing the time and place of transformation of energy, not with quantity of energy. Let A be psychical cause, and B physical effect : whence conies the energy represented by B ? So far as the conservation of energy is concerned, it might come from the other side of the moon. Hoeffding and Ebbinghaus employ an old-fashioned idea of causation, and assume that energy passes from cause into effect, a survival from scholastic metaphysics. The real point at issue is the mechanical theory of the universe. ' Mechanical ' may mean ateleological (in which case interaction may be held), or dynamical (all laws are laws of motion). But the dynamical theory is at best a working hypothesis for physics, and has no usefulness in psychology. Hence parallelism is non-proven.] Discussion. D. S. Miller. ' Professor James on Philosophical Method.' [Critique of Philosophical Conceptions and. Practical Results. James is prag- matic (whither does a conception go ?), the English empiricists genetic (whence did it come ?). His guiding thoughts are those of spontaneous activity and of risk. Does, then, truth depend on success, on biological or social utility ?] Eeviews of Books. Notices of New Books. Notes. W. B. Waterman. ' Rare Kant Books.' PSYCHOLOGICAL EEVIEW. Vol. vi., No. 2. G-. T. Ladd. ' On Certain Hindrances to the Progress of Psychology in America.' [Progress is hindered by the aloofness of teachers from the real world ; by the trend towards popularising ; by the temper of psychological discussions ; by the intrusion of the commercial spirit into science ; by the servility of psychology to related sciences. All these hindrances are matters of personnel rather than of materiel. One must distinguish between psycholo- gists and psychologists, however : there is now a rank and file of